Magician and NFL Star Delivers Inspiring Keynote at NSC Safety Congress & Expo

Athlete and entertainer Jon Dorenbos used a mix of humor, magic, and life lessons to show NSC attendees the importance of staying confident and positive despite tough setbacks.

• By David Kopf
• Oct 23, 2023

While former NFL All-Star, magician and television personality Jon Dorenbos offered up some card tricks that dazzled the audience at today’s NSC Safety Congress & Expo keynote address, what really left attendees spellbound were his insights into staying inspired, confident and passionate despite life’s setbacks.

Delivered during the “Let’s Make People Safer” Opening Session of the NSC Safety Congress & Expo from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Dorebos engaged the audience with a mix of beguiling card tricks, disarming humor and inspiring personal stories.

Long before Dorenbos rose to the heights of being an NFL All-Star and appearing on America’s Got Talent and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, he and his sister had to come to terms with the shocking and traumatic loss of their mother. That experience helped Dorenbos learn the importance of shutting down inner self-doubt and finding the positives in every situation — a message that he wove throughout his keynote.

After his rise in football as a long snapper and ultimately notching the most consecutive games played in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dorenbos’s life took a challenging turn in 2017: He was suddenly traded to the New Orleans Saints. But instead of fixating on that as a disappointment, Dorenbos noticed that he, a deep snapper, was valued enough to get traded.

Then, while with the Saints, a mandatory medical examination revealed a serious heart condition that required immediate surgery, abruptly ending his football career. Rather than letting that stop him, Dorenbos changed gears and focused on the activity that he wanted to pursue since childhood: magic.

Just six weeks after his operation, Dorenbos showcased his indomitable spirit by appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen went on to create a game show hosted by Dorenbos, where he surprised and delighted participants at their homes.

Dorenbos tied his message back to the importance of workplace safety, reminding audience members that their passion and inspiration make a critical difference in the lives of their coworkers and colleagues.

“Every day, you wake up to protect the world,” he emphasized. “You wake up with a passion and a drive and a commitment like no longer to make this world a safe place. Because that’s what we do as people, as parents, as friends, as bosses, we’re responsible for people. And it’s our job to take it to the end with everything we have. And protect what we love more than anything.”

Before the keynote from Dorenbos, Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, welcomed attendees to the opening session by noting that while she has seen many changes in safety in recent years, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, “something that has never changed, that has never wavered, is the dedication of everyone in this room to make people safe.”

“Coming together with you all is truly the highlight of my year,” she continued. “Because when I look across this room, I don’t just see you, I see the vast network of people whose lives have been impacted by incorporating new technologies that make workers safe on the job, by building training that lead to ways to spot and record hazards, and by encouraging people to use their voice to speak up when they see something unsafe. You are saving lives.”

The NSC Safety Congress & Expo continues until Oct. 25.